Coyotes at Rangers
The New York Rangers paid a hefty price to acquire defenseman Keith Yandle at the trade deadline last season and will get a look at one of the players they gave away when the Arizona Coyotes pay a visit to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Rookie Anthony Duclair, one of the key components in the deal, has scored a team-high five goals for Arizona.
New York had scored only two goals during a three-game winless drought (0-2-1) before posting a 4-0 victory over San Jose on Monday behind backup goaltender Antti Raanta. "Everyone in the room knows that the level we were playing at isn't acceptable," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said. "It's something we wanted to take care of." The Coyotes started the season with three straight victories but are winless in their last three (0-2-1) following an overtime loss at New Jersey on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game road trip. Arizona has dropped three in a row to New York and allowed nine goals in a pair of setbacks last season.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (3-2-1): Arizona coach Dave Tippett shuffled his lines at Wednesday's practice, bookending high-scoring rookies Duclair and Max Domi (seven points each) around Martin Hanzal while Antoine Vermette centered captain Shane Doan and Mikkel Boedker. Joe Vitale, who has played in only one game, will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a fractured orbital bone. Mike Smith, who has permitted 11 goals in his last three starts, takes a 5-8-2 record against the Rangers into Thursday's matchup.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (4-2-1): Yandle did not miss a game during his last six seasons in the desert but he was not in a mood to reminisce about his time with the Coyotes. "You're all in for the team that you're with," Yandle said. "You try not to leave anything in the past; you just move forward. For me it's just helping my team here and helping us win." Rangers center Derek Stepan missed practice Wednesday to have a wisdom tooth removed but is expected to be in the lineup against Arizona.
OVERTIME
1. Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist is 5-1-0 with a 2.29 goals-against average versus Arizona.
2. The Coyotes have lost six in a row at Madison Square Garden, last winning in New York on Dec. 16, 2007.
3. The Rangers scored on their lone power play Monday to halt an 0-for-12 drought.